1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, and more particularly, to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for measuring a fetal head based on a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses transmit ultrasound signals generated by transducers of a probe to an object and receive echo signals reflected from the object, thereby obtaining at least one image of an internal part of the object (e.g., soft tissue or blood flow). In particular, ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses are used for medical purposes including observing an internal area of an object, detecting foreign substances, and assessing injuries. Such ultrasound diagnosis apparatuses provide high stability, display images in real time, and are safe due to no radiation exposure, compared to X-ray apparatuses. Therefore, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is widely used together with other types of imaging diagnosis devices.
In prenatal ultrasound, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus produces an ultrasound image of a fetus by transmitting ultrasound signals to an object and receiving ultrasound echo signals reflected from the object. In addition, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus may diagnose a disease in the fetus by measuring the head size of the fetus, and in particular, head circumference (HC), biparietal diameter (BPD), and occipitofrontal diameter (OFD).
Conventionally, to measure a fetus's head size, a two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound image of a cross-sectional plane from which biometric parameters for a fetal head such as HC and BPD are to be measured are obtained by performing a plurality of scans of the fetus. Thus, according to the conventional measuring method, an ultrasound scan needs to be repeated until an ultrasound image of a desired cross-sectional plane is acquired, and thus, it takes a long time to measure a the size of the head of a fetus. Furthermore, since the accuracy of a cross-sectional plane to be acquired may vary depending on the skill level of a medical practitioner who performs an ultrasound scan, it is difficult to accurately measure fetal HC, OFD, and BPD.